Cause and Effect: Presence
by Faylinn Night
Summary: Leo's PTSD is taking a toll on the family and himself. The clan senses how he must heal, but Mikey won't let his future departure bring gloom to a great present exchange. No matter what, he will keep faith. [Transition one-shot from "Hollow Hearts" to "Sunrise".]


**Author's Notes:** Merry Christmas, everyone! I'm here with an unplanned one-shot. LOL.

As I was writing "_Sunrise_" and "_Cause Worth Celebrating_", I realized there's a part in the _Cause and Effect_ story line I wanted to address after all. With that in mind, this fic doesn't conquer any problems. Rather, it transitions things from the end of "_Hollow Hearts_" to the mini-books. It's more of a 'where everyone stands' story. Little fluff, little follow up, little angst. All family.

For any who haven't read my stories or forgot, Nia is Raph's girlfriend and Melody is Don's girlfriend. Casey is MIA. Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HAMATO AMY! :D

**Disclaimer:** TMNT belongs to Nick/Eastman/Laird. Nia Anders and Melody Gray belong to me. I'm in no way making any money. Thanks.

* * *

**Cause and Effect: ****Presence**

To Hamato Michelangelo, the presence of his eldest brother was bittersweet. Leonardo sat quietly on the Lair's worn sofa, staring at the wall of televisions. They were muted in favor of the Christmas music Mikey had set up almost an hour ago; however, Leo's blank look meant sound didn't matter. The orange-banded Chūnin paused on the Oriental rug below the coffee table, glancing up discretely from his job of categorizing wrapped presents.

"Leo?" he asked. But the blue-banded brother didn't twitch. "Leo!"

With a slow blink and a sigh like turning his head was difficult, Leonardo faced Michelangelo. "What?" he countered in a hoarse whisper.

"D—did meditation go well with Splinter this morning?"

The Jonin's face remained stoic a moment then darkened when he turned back to the silent televisions.

"He says you're almost ready to leave," added Mikey, glum while his hand placed the last gift in its pile. "Is that true?"

"The ninth," Leo said in all apathy.

"Day after tomorrow? Really?"

Leo didn't answer, though Mikey knew the eldest meant 'yes' and sunk back onto his large feet. It felt too soon; he could hardly wrap his mind around the reality before Leo continued with trace amounts of agitation.

"It's fine."

"What?" Ending his whisper with a wounded glare, the nunchaku master straightened his kneeling position. "How can you say that?"

"I'm not needed here," Leo started after a heavier sigh. His side leaned towards the armrest, which supported him as a too familiar unease shadowed his expression. "And stop saying I am. You guys came and saved _me_. You did my job, _my_ role. Meanwhile, I was in a room with over a dozen people…and I couldn't help the ones who really needed it."

"Leo—"

"I—I'm done, Mikey. Okay?"

The younger Hamato closed his mouth, only because the disturbing amount of grief and frustration in Leo's tone hit him like a punch to the gut.

"I won't fight Splinter's suggestion. In fact…leaving sounds great."

"You"—Mikey flinched at the tightness in his chest—"don't _want_ to be with us? Your family?"

"I don't want anything, Mike," Leo whispered, dull in both tone and gaze. "I just don't…care. I don't. Besides, you'll do better without me."

"That's not tru—"

"Alright; who's ready for this belated present exchange?" April's high tone accompanied a small chorus of voices. The smiling redhead flashed Michelangelo and Leonardo a wide smile, though the Jonin didn't return it. Joy weakening, April shook her head before scanning the seven small piles of gifts around the orange-banded mutant. "Everyone's categorized?"

"Yeah," Mikey answered while tearing his attention from Leo's frown. "Don and Melody kinda share a pile."

"I explained in December how unnecessary it would be to offer me a gift," the blonde cyborg remarked behind April. Her metal arms folded below her busty chest and Don wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his hand resting on the curved plate over her right one.

"And _some_ took what you said to heart," Mikey added when his narrowed eyes landed on Raphael rounding the couch. The hothead lightly shrugged then turned his head with a snort once he and Nia sat beside Leo.

"S—since we postponed the exchange, I was able to get her something," the artist noted meekly. Still, she avoided the cyborg's presence.

Mikey noticed that Melody refused to join April and Splinter, who also took seats (one on the floor and the other in his residential arm chair). Her red and blue eyes were set on Leonardo's bald head above the couch and no matter what Donny whispered in her only ear, she wouldn't budge.

'_She doesn't want Leo to see her_,' thought the nunchaku master. '_Makes sense; half the time he does, he starts…panicking._'

In the end, Melody won her stand. She stood defiantly behind the couch, so Donatello pulled chairs up from the kitchen table to join her.

"So who's going first?" the genius questioned, uneasy, from the back.

"I vote Leo," interjected Mikey with a quick raise of his hand.

"Do you wish to go first, Leonardo?" Splinter added gently, glancing towards the couch.

Leo barely lifted his head from his leaning position, saying in a dreary tone, "Whatever you want."

It hurt meeting the Jonin's umber eyes when he straightened, yet the youngest Hamato maintained a smile while handing over a rectangular present decorated by galaxy-patterned paper and silver ribbon. "This is from me, Don, and Raph. It's been out of circulation since the production company went under, but Don's super skills managed to find this jewel. You should like it."

Leonardo unwrapped the gift in his lap with the gusto of a tranquilized sloth. By the time he reached the DVD collection inside, a good minute had passed; and he didn't crack a smile at the distinctive art of a team dressed in futuristic uniforms on the cover.

"It's Space Heroes," noted Mikey while he leaned over the coffee table. "You used to make us watch it all the time when we were, like, thirteen, remember? Then it went off the air."

"Thanks, guys," Leo said as he placed the gift before Mikey's elbows on the table. His forced smile and listless tone, though, proved how shallow the words were.

They stung like a cut across the chest—worse than being stabbed—and Mikey fought tears like mad to keep a positive outlook. Okay. So nostalgia didn't work. Maybe after a few other gifts he'd lighten up?

Mikey held onto that hope when he searched for the next present in Leo's pile. "Let's see…"

* * *

Come late afternoon, colorful wrapping paper littered the Lair's living room floor. Michelangelo sat back with a satisfied smile, scanning the group for an assessment of their loot.

Donatello and Melody remained behind the couch. Don shifted through a box of—well, Mikey didn't know what they were. He just knew they weren't any sort of kitchen appliance like the box suggested and they resembled a bunch of large computer chips. His genius brother had thrown his head back in excitement the moment he opened it, leaving Melody to catch the less-impressive offerings from his brothers, Nia, and Splinter.

With their collection huddled on the kitchen table, Melody glossed over one of the three gifts she'd received. In clueless desperation, Nia had bought the cyborg a leather portfolio for notes, while Mikey ambushed her with the Terminator trilogy. Melody had sent a pointed look in retaliation (claiming to hate movies), but the nunchaku master convinced her that the moral of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character matched her in many ways.

She lightened up afterwards; and since then had been holding back from replacing the Christmas music with her gift from Donatello, which she fiddled with.

Who knew the stoic Melody had a weakness for folk music like Blackmore's Night? It was almost as surprising as the gifts April brought from South America. Well, save for Nia's.

After two weeks of waiting, the artist finally received the latest addition to the tribal statues that were stashed throughout the living room. And, boy, was it freaky. To the youngest Hamato, it looked as if the one-foot, thin being cried upwards in agony from a kneeled position. Nia insisted it was in deliverance instead—a sign of relief. By the end of a light debate, they agreed to disagree.

Though Raph sided with Mikey and insisted the piece be kept out of direct sight…

April's remaining presents were less disturbing. Mikey couldn't wait to experiment with the unique paints from an Amazon tribe, and Splinter's new shawl looked fit for an Indian chief. Raph had been graced with some sort of mixed fiber hand wrap…things. Honestly, the technical speak was lost on Mikey; however, he knew the coarse fabric was supposedly pliable like clay yet strong like steel.

Why April's consigners made such material was a mystery.

'_They seem like interesting people_,' Mikey thought while watching Splinter trace the graceful contours of a specially-made incense burner his sons had gotten him. '_Given April's stories, I can tell they're artistic yet war-like at the same time. Then again, they do have to hunt. It's not like they can run down to the local grocery store for food. Wait; guess we can't do that either. But at least we have the alternative of food delivery to April's when needs be._

'_It would suck having to fight things like cats for dinner…'Less it was something along the lines of an Ocelot. Knowing Turtle Luck, though, I'd run into a Jaguar…I wonder, how will Leo fair gathering food like them?'_

Michelangelo's unease from earlier suddenly returned ten-fold as he glanced passed the conversation Nia, Raph, and April were having over the statue towards Leonardo. The Jonin hadn't budged from his spot and not even a Tsuka Ito from April could rouse a real smile.

'_But he loves tending his Katanas. How could he be so lifeless about new handle wraps? Those particular Tsuka Ito are unique only to him…Damn. What will it take for him to be Leo again?_'

The answer felt so far away…

"Am I the only one who sees the beauty in this?" questioned Nia on the verge of perturbed.

Her voice drew Michelangelo's attention like an unintentional means of escape and the nunchaku master studied how her pink lips puckered in a pout. The look was playful yet sincere, which added to the adoring sight when she huffed. Mike gave a lopsided grin from the floor, chuckling silently, until movement from Raphael's arm reminded him of her relationship status.

The hothead pulled her towards his plastron with his grip tight on the young woman's waist. "Ya got weird taste, Nia," he said near her neck.

Mikey had to turn his head once Nia faced him, a small blush across her cheeks and nose. "So—sometimes. After all, look at my choice in boyfriends."

"Ya got more than one?" Raph shot back in humor. "Tell me where the oddahs are an' I'll set 'em straight."

She giggled at his subsequent growl—an intimate action meant solely for her boyfriend. No matter how hard Mikey attempted to convince himself he was accepting of his brothers' partners, he couldn't deny the sting of jealousy that pushed him to his feet when Nia said,

"Don't worry, Raph; one knight's enough for me."

Raph replied, but it seemed Mikey wasn't the only one feeling out of place. April also stood, saying, "Well, seeing as how mine was the last gift, I should be going."

"Aw," Mikey whined, reaching for her sleeve. "Do you have to?"

"Unfortunately, yes," April responded as she gently patted Mikey's arm. "My shop's behind on inventory and shipments. Tomorrow I _need_ to be ready for a big order, so…S—sorry, guys."

"No apologies," interjected Splinter, his words warm like his expression. His whiskers twitched when numerous eyes fell on him and he smiled like a proud father. "Life moves forward, so we must move with it."

"Even when it requires countless amounts of cataloging," the woman added with pressed lips.

"There _are _bigger problems," Leonardo snapped, face buried in his hands. Though he never lifted his head from where he bent in half, Mikey sensed darkness looming over his older brother. And it curdled his gut.

"There are always bigger problems," April countered strenuously. "Some of which, people keep deep inside. And won't speak of them to those who matter _most_."

"April"—Splinter's stern tone overshadowed the Jonin's scoff—"Leonardo needs time. You will see. When he returns to us from his sabbatical, he will be changed."

So confident. So faithful. So…like a father. Mikey noted how strongly Leo gripped his knee pads—probably because of a flashback or possibly because of anger over April's small outburst. He found it hard to believe what his master said and as the wizened rat nodded, he watched Melody flee towards the Lab. Don followed after her with no hesitation, but Mikey knew she wouldn't be back. She never was once Leo started shaking.

"Forgive me, Splinter," noted April. With an unsure smile, she gathered her gifts from the floor into a ready decorative bag, which she then picked up aggressively. "We're not at that stage, I get it," she continued once she panned the group. "Thanks for the presents, guys. Especially you, Mikey. I, uh, don't know what I'd do without a cowboy hat."

"It's to wear at the farmhouse," the orange-clad mutant countered with an innocent shrug.

"There ain't even a horse on the property," added Raph, snorting.

Mikey flashed him a mild glare. "It's all about _feeling_, Raphy Boy."

"Come over here an' I'll show ya what _I'm_ feelin right now."

"With your fist? Nia would never allow it."

To ensure the artist proved his point, Mikey sent Nia a pleading look. She smiled in turn then leaned into the hothead. The shy grin she gave him hurt a little, but at least Raph sat back in his seat. Knowing Leo didn't care enough to reprimand his younger brothers hurt worse anyway.

"Donny, I know we've be—hey, where'd he go?" April glanced around the paper-riddled living room then Raph.

"Like _I_ know," the sai master countered, gruff in his crossing of arms. "Gray probably—"

"He had to leave with Melody," Mikey finished.

"Oh." April blinked. "Then tell him to call me later, okay?"

"Rodger dodger," sung the blue-eyed Hamato as he saluted.

The redhead grinned at him like a true friend before facing Splinter. "I'll see you guys soon."

"Will you be present when we see Leonardo off?" asked Splinter carefully.

"Wh—when does he leave?"

"The ninth."

"So soon."

"He…chose the date."

"I see. Well, I'll, uh, I'll be sure to get the time and place from Don when he calls me."

Splinter nodded towards the back-peddling redhead, gripping his cane tightly. "Be safe, O-Neil-san. And thank you for the surplus of tea."

"Be sure to try the K'ekchi's specialty; it's a major stress reliever!" cried April as she headed to her coat by the door. She gave one last good-bye when exiting. Then, the Lair succumbed to the chime of 'Jingle Bells' while the next step was contemplated.

"We're done?" Leonardo asked—almost as if he had been waiting for an end since the beginning.

"Leo, you're leaving," said Michelangelo flatly. He met his eldest brother's heavy gaze then held his breath to keep it from shuddering. "Can't you forget hiding for now? Can't you _be_ with us?" The last word left as a whisper—pained and pleading. Waiting for a response through the thick atmosphere was nerve-wracking, given the Jonin's recent track record.

But instead of standing fully from the couch, Leo leaned back, his gaze set everywhere except another person when he wrung his hands. "I…don't feel like doing much."

"W—we don't have to do anything," interjected Nia by Raph's side. She somewhat grinned, despite Leo's avoidance. "We could watch the show you got."

Immediately, a groan left Raph.

"What?" Nia directed towards the red-banded mutant.

"It's a nerd show," he grumbled with his head lolled against the couch's backrest.

Nia pursed her mouth then reached for the DVDs on the coffee table. "I'm sure it's great," she said while handing the collection over to Mikey. The duo shared an awkward smile when their fingers brushed before the nunchaku master stepped towards the large entertainment center, relieving the movies of their plastic protection.

"What's going on out here?" Rounding the couch, Donatello stood with questioning eyes set on Mikey.

"Nerd marathon," answered Raph. There was a light slap through the open room when Nia hit his shoulder, yet he smirked in play.

"Oh, we're watching Space Heroes?"

Mikey smiled slyly at how the genius didn't miss a beat. "Want to make the popcorn?"

"And I'll get the drinks!" added Nia while following Don. Her question of Melody's whereabouts could hardly be heard, so Mikey continued his task until Christmas songs were replaced with Space Heroes' notorious theme music.

"How much of this do you think we remember?" Mikey questioned over his shoulder.

He didn't expect Leo to respond, so when he didn't, the youngest took the matter in stride by fetching several blankets from an armoire by the stairs and handing them out. Splinter grinned appreciatively and Raphael grabbed his like it was expected. Leo was docile enough for his brother to cover him, which felt unnatural. Usually, the leader was the one giving care.

'_I'm not bringing myself down tonight,_' Mikey thought with a firm shake of his head.

After bundling in a large, crocheted blanket (ensuring Don had one as well), he slid into the space between the coffee table and Leo's legs. The Jonin didn't fight his brother when Mikey used his shins as a backrest. Which was good. The last thing Mikey wanted was to explain how anxious he felt over Leo's departure. And how badly he craved his eldest sibling's presence since his long absence.

Inhaling deeply, Mikey waited for Donny and Nia to return. When they did—goodies in hand—he pushed play then glanced up at Leo's impassive face as the introduction started.

'_He won't stay like this forever. He'll heal. E—even if it isn't with us. I have to believe that. Because if I don't…he's already gone._'

Right. Leo was stronger than any scientist or company or self doubt anyway. He'd return home as the same leader they all knew and loved. Perhaps with more wisdom, too. And the whole Hamato clan would be waiting with open arms.

For now, though, he need only focus on how corny Captain Ryan's lines were.


End file.
